CONSULTANT – ZACH

Duties And Responsibilities
Overall objective
The “End of CoAg Evaluation” seeks to provide information on whether the objectives of the program were achieved from 2019 to 2023. The evaluation must assess achievements, effectiveness, and adequacy of the program strategies towards reaching expected targets and results; identify lessons; and make recommendations to inform the next phase of the program. Furthermore, the evaluation will focus on three program areas that failed to meet set benchmarks, explore contributory factors, and make recommendations for future programming.

Specific objectives of the evaluation are:
To identify the effectiveness of strategies and interventions that were implemented. This will include the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learnt and make recommendations to inform the next phase of the program. The evaluation will however focus specifically on the poorly performing indicators and provide an in-depth analysis of the strategies employed and factors that contributed to the program not achieving the desired targets. The final report will provide recommendations to improve future programming. The following are the specific objectives:
a. Objective 1: Determine the effectiveness of the HIV targeted testing strategies in addressing the gaps among PLHIV who don’t know their HIV status by geographic area, sex, and age.
b. Objective 2. Explore strategies in place to improve retention of PLHIV on antiretroviral treatment and document successes, challenges, and proposed solutions to the challenges.
c. Objective 3. Identify and document factors contributing to the low and sub-optimal Viral Load Coverage (VLC) and make recommendations on strategies that can be used to improve VLC.

Scope of Assignment
The Consultant is expected to propose a design (methodology) for the evaluation. The consultant will then conduct the end-term evaluation using a suitable mixed methods approach through on-site validations, interviews, observations, focus group discussions, workshops with primary project implementers, key stakeholders, and partners among others. The following steps are proposed for conducting the evaluation: preparatory planning meetings, documents review, data collection/field exercises, data analysis and final evaluation report writing and submission.

Expected Outputs/Deliverables
1. Inception report with detailed methodology and evaluation work plan and budget
2. Technical assistance with the Evaluation Performance Measurement Plan (EPMP) and an approved end of project evaluation protocol (approved by MRCZ and CDC)
3. Data collection tools
4. Data collection, cleaning, and analysis
5. Draft evaluation report
6. Final evaluation report with a minimum of:
a. Table of contents
b. Executive summary
c. Introduction, objectives, and methodology
d. Findings and Discussion
e. Conclusion, Lessons Learnt, Recommendations and Action Plan
f. Appendices
7. Three (3) full set of hardcopy reports and one (1) soft copy of report, with all appendices

Timeline of Evaluation
The evaluation protocol development, approval and end of program evaluation is expected to start on 01 October 2022 and be completed by 30 October 2023

Qualifications And Experience
Required Qualifications, Experience and Skills of the Consultant

• Masters’ Degree in Public Health or Epidemiology; OR PHD in Public Health; OR minimum 10 years’ experience in Public Health
• Experience in designing, collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of statistical data and conducting facility and community-based HIV prevention, care, and treatment support programs program evaluations.
• Advanced knowledge in managing statistical databases using contemporary statistical programs and software packages such as R, STATA, SPSS, Epi Info, ODK and others.
• High-level technical expertise in evaluating the implementation of clinical and non-clinical components of HIV/AIDS programs; in-depth knowledge of current local, national, regional, and global strategies
• Extensive knowledge and experience in applying mixed method evaluation techniques
• Evidence of experience in terms of (resumes, evaluation report samples, references) will be required to support claims of knowledge, skills, and experience.
• Knowledge of partnership approaches
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills